Examples of Delusions | How are Delusions Treated?

This video answers the question: Can I give some examples of delusions as they might be seen by mental health counselors in their work?
There's a lot of confusion about delusions and when something rises to the level of delusional. A delusion is a fixed false belief that doesn't change in light of conflicting evidence. Delusions get confused with hallucinations. Hallucinations represent a separate construct: this is when somebody sees something other people can't see or hears or something other people can't hear or otherwise senses something other people cannot sense. Oftentimes delusions and hallucinations go together like in certain disorders, but they don't necessarily have to appear together.

Delusions are consistent with the concept of psychosis - they break from reality. When someone is psychotic, 65% of the time we would see the delusions.
Certain mental disorders may be associated with delusions: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Mehl, S., Schlier, B., & Lincoln, T. M. (2018). Does CBT for psychosis have an impact on delusions by improving reasoning biases and negative self-schemas? A secondary mediation analysis of data from an effectiveness trial. Zeitschrift Für Psychologie, 226(3), 152–163.
Sivec, H. J., & Montesano, V. L. (2013). Clinical process examples of cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis. Psychotherapy, 50(3), 458–463
Clamor, A., & Krkovic, K. (2018). Paranoid Delusions as an Adaptive Response to Social Evaluative Stress? Zeitschrift Fur Psychologie, 226(3), 191–196.

[Nova_Afterglow]

Hi Dr Grande. In my late 20’s I was diagnosed with bi polar 1, after a long lasting manic episode. Your videos have helped me understand what happened with me and what to be prepared for in the future. I don’t feel so alone after hearing your information. Thanks man, keep up the awesome work. 😃

[panda]

Being sober and educated had reduced my delusions: and allowed me to spell it correctly.

[Inferno]

As a schizophrenic, this video was very informative. I've experienced many of these delusions, though never hallucinations of any kind.

[jesseperez]

I found myself enveloped in year long paranoia episode that became a full blown delusional state. I believed I was a Targeted individual and everyone in the street were surveillance role players working for the sherifs or a private intelligence agency and that I was under remote neural monitoring. Felt so real but I just couldn't believe it so I kept trying to prove myself wrong but it felt like I was just proving myself right everytime. It got so bad that I was on the verge of hurting people who I believed were conspiring against me but I never did because I also believed that the whole thing was meant to provoke me. Thankfully I got better over time without medication but that year in my life remains a mystery to me. I live a normal life like anybody else, I actually feel that I came out of this a stronger person.

[moodybooze]

I've dealt with so many longterm meth users. Their delusions are quite fixed and rigid. They usually involve fear and persecution. They clean up for a while then the delusions disappear. It shocks me as a lay person as to why when they relapse the exact bizarre delusions start right where they left off. These delusions become stronger and more complex at each drug relapse.

[kathrinjohnson]

Thank you so much for describing this topic in such a dignified and compassionate way. Unfortunately I dealt with someone who has delusions for a long time. Everyone I ever encountered simply thought that delusions are because the person is stupid and if they just informed the person they are wrong then berate them for not agreeing that will cure them! As you know that will take them for 0 to 100 and from delusional to violent. And these ppl to this day think that what they did was helpful!!! I have more regard for a person with delusions than the simpletons that thinks they can fix delusions by force them to be right.

[mikebaker]

If you think someone is delusional because what they believe is totally ridiculous to you it is entirely possible that you feel incredulous towards their belief because you are actually the deluded one.

[ericpeigan]

wow really liked this, my male nurse has helped me over the years helping me see that my delusions are not real, but this is like the final nail in its coffin lol, helps me have more confidence in going back to work and getting out there hopefully

[phoebemoore]

I have ran out of my medication and watching these videos helps me to calm myself down by understanding more about why I feel the way I do :'( can't wait to pick up my prescription tomorrow

[Anastashya]

Very interesting subject, Dr Grande. I’ve always confused delusions with hallucinations. I have a wonderfully talented pianist as an accompanist, but he has Bipolar 1, which once got out of hand when he was telling me Mozart was telling him to play the aria known as 'Queen Of The Night’ at double the speed. I tried all manner of things to convince him this couldn’t be true, but no, he played it double speed and I sang it at that speed 😂. I did pass my associates exam, but with compliments for the vocal calisthenics. Later, someone else told him what he did and he couldn’t apologize enough. I’m now supposing that was a delusion he had.

[karabear]

I found this video quite informative. I have bipolar one and bpd. I have had two episodes of psychosis, and have believed many of these delusions . I've had hallucinations too. I'm just recovering from a long two months of psychosis. Still amazes me everythingibelived in. I was never one for conspiracy theories or even knew much about them until I was hit with psychosis. Paranoia of government was so real to me. Alternate realities, grandious thoughts.... All of it was so real. Thank you for sharingthis video

[noreenrachuba]

I have taken a few Psychological tests in my life. I always found the question Do you have delusions ? HILLARIOUS
IF They are delusions - how would I know .

[forray_forever]

Would you consider a video on recreational drug use leading to psychotic episodes? And how substance induced psychosis differs from the idea that some predisposed individuals can develop mental illness "triggered" by drug use? I think it could be worthwhile especially with today's prevalence of mixing or laced substances, synthetic/designer drugs.

[horvathzsofia]

I am a Hungarian med student in 5th year. As uni lectures are online now, my psychiatry teacher sends us quite a few youtube videos and I just got a link to this video and I was sooo suprised and happy, cause I have been watching your videos for a few months now!! :D Your videos are not just entertaining for everyone but really informative for those who study psychiatry. :) So thank you for these videos! Keep doing what you're doing!

[jamesshaw]

Excellent - this clarified a wide range of conditions for me

[macmedic]

4:00 Even paranoids have enemies... and sometimes "they" really ARE out to get them!

[christopherhiller]

This video was very informative! It helped me gain insight to a neighbor of the Reformed Jewish faith who frequently asserted he was a reincarnated extraterrestrial directly descended from Jesus. For a decade he'd persist with this, finally, I had to end the friendship as I could not tolerate it any more.

[ennvee]

Thank you, Dr Grande, one of the many responses that I have received, is that those persons have tendency to call you Delusional if You have spotted a pattern in someone that indicates Delusions, (or other abnormal behavior)so what has helped me to remain on task is to remember that I am the one who was following up on the clues First (I noticed the pattern First) not until you bring up the “subject “of a pattern is anything noticed, so, as a “defense” they’ll indicate that you are the one having Delusions.(Key Word “Pattern”.)

[mirjanadolenec]

You're skilled and your english is perfectly clear: Thank you!

[LizzyLoves]

My brother had Schizophrenia and suffers from delusions daily. His biggest definitely stems from paranoia: he thinks cars that pass by us are going fast to irritate him or to get away from him. He also thinks when people honk their horns, they’re doing so at him. We tell him all the time that this is not the case, but he never believes us. Other examples: he thinks the cops are always out to get him, even if he has done nothing illegal, he believes 9/11 happened because of him, he also believes that whenever Duke looses at a basketball game it’s because of him or that if they loose “everybody” is going to make fun of him. We try to explain to him why none of this is the case, but the delusions are so deep that nothing we say changes his mind. It’s really very sad.